Families in Crisis
The Horse Whisperer (Redford & Markey, 1998) portrays the trauma of Grace, an adolescent girl, and her horse, Pilgrim, who survive serious injuries after being hit by a semi-truck. Her best friend dies in the accident, as does her friend’s horse. The physical and emotional injuries extend far beyond just Grace; the entire family is impacted by the trauma.
Emotional Experience
As the film progressed to the traumatic scene, I felt anxiety escalating and all of my senses were heightened. My heart was beating faster and harder, my breathing was shallow and more rapid, and I could sense tension building in my muscles. I felt swept into the moment with the characters, as if I was there with them, almost oblivious to the physical environment I was in. The sounds of the horses’ hooves crunching through the crusted snow seemed exceptionally loud; the foreboding music warned something bad was coming; and the innocent giggling of the girls intensified the sense of …show more content…
The family copes with the additional stress brought on by the resulting changes and the individual’s symptoms of PTSD, requiring all of them to adjust (Figley, 2000). Grace’s parents were faced with her apathy toward life and their rejected attempts to help her, and therefore, it is not just Grace who needs and benefits from therapy. It is not uncommon for a traumatized family to demonstrate ineffective or even maladaptive means of coping (Figley, 2000). Each of them contributes to the family dynamics and to the well-being of one another.
A systems therapist believes and communicates to the family that they have the ability to cope effectively because they also have the necessary strengths, resources, and problem-solving skills (Castro & Gutterman, 2008). This family does not appear to utilize their conjoined efforts in any activity. Empowering them as a whole is a great intervention for a therapist to
The Horse Whisperer (Redford & Markey, 1998) portrays the trauma of Grace, an adolescent girl, and her horse, Pilgrim, who survive serious injuries after being hit by a semi-truck. Her best friend dies in the accident, as does her friend’s horse. The physical and emotional injuries extend far beyond just Grace; the entire family is impacted by the trauma.
Emotional Experience
As the film progressed to the traumatic scene, I felt anxiety escalating and all of my senses were heightened. My heart was beating faster and harder, my breathing was shallow and more rapid, and I could sense tension building in my muscles. I felt swept into the moment with the characters, as if I was there with them, almost oblivious to the physical environment I was in. The sounds of the horses’ hooves crunching through the crusted snow seemed exceptionally loud; the foreboding music warned something bad was coming; and the innocent giggling of the girls intensified the sense of …show more content…
The family copes with the additional stress brought on by the resulting changes and the individual’s symptoms of PTSD, requiring all of them to adjust (Figley, 2000). Grace’s parents were faced with her apathy toward life and their rejected attempts to help her, and therefore, it is not just Grace who needs and benefits from therapy. It is not uncommon for a traumatized family to demonstrate ineffective or even maladaptive means of coping (Figley, 2000). Each of them contributes to the family dynamics and to the well-being of one another.
A systems therapist believes and communicates to the family that they have the ability to cope effectively because they also have the necessary strengths, resources, and problem-solving skills (Castro & Gutterman, 2008). This family does not appear to utilize their conjoined efforts in any activity. Empowering them as a whole is a great intervention for a therapist to